Don't leave me
by Queen Regent Of The North
Summary: Effie is sick and tired of looking after an alcoholic and decides to go home. But what will Haymitch think of her decision? First HG fic


**HEEELLLLLOOOOOO HAFFIE SHIPPERS! Okay, this is my first Hunger Games fic so please go easy on me. Its really nice to meet you all!**

"Haymitch!" an annoying high voice sounded loudly near his ear. He groaned and rolled over in bed.

"Hayymmiiitttccchhhhh" the voice sang again, causing him to grab his pillow and bury his head underneath it. he heard foot steps and the voice was suddenly by his feet

"HAAAAYYYYYYYYYMMMMIIIIIITTTTCCCCCHHHH!"

"Goddamnit Effie what do you want?!" he demanded, curling himself up into a ball under his blankets. He knew it was her, no one else could be that annoying.

"I want the latest pair of flame shoes, I want one of bee-tees new music chips" she said "but most of all I want you out of bed!" she grunted, yanking the covers out of his grasp and off the bed. Damn she was stronger than she looked.

"If you let me sleep I'll buy you the shoes" he offered, rolling into his back and giving her his most charming smile.

"Haymitch, I'm not doing this for my own entertainment, you know what the doctor said" she snapped. Haymitch had finally been convinced to give up his drinking habits, mainly because Katniss had threatened not to let him see Rose until he did. So onto sobriety tablets he had gone with Effie gallantly offering to 'nurse' him. He was now three weeks in and it was finally getting easier. He'd gone through the anger stage, the sobbing stage, and the 'no one understands me' stage with Effie by his side like an annoying overly faithful puppy. He still had nightmares (although Katniss had confiscated his knife when Effie moved in) he still longed for the numbness that alcohol brought but it didn't control his life like it used to. However, one thing that he absolutely hated about this sober story was the exercising that the doctor had insisted he do. For the last three weeks Effie had hauled him out of bed at the crack of dawn to go -get this- jogging around the village.

"Alright alright" he muttered "I'm coming"

"I'll meet you in the kitchen in ten minutes" she chirped before skipping out of the door to his bedroom.

'How can one person have so much energy so early in the morning?' he wondered as he scrambled around to find his new track suit that Effie had made him buy. At least he'd been able to put his foot down to the bright orange one she wanted him to have and had instead gone for a dark blue that according to Effie had made his eyes seem brighter. Effie, being Effie, had bought herself a whole wardrobe of the things and had appeared in a different one every morning.

He made his way downstairs to find her humming along to his old radio, which she had discovered in the spare room and insisted that it be moved into the kitchen, and stirring a cup of coffee. Today she was in an electric blue with matching trainers

"You look like a peacock" he greeted, ambling over to where she stood

"I made you coffee" she said, handing him the cup and ignoring his comment as she always did when he made a comment about her clothing.

"Thank you princess" he said slightly sarcastically, not wanting to listen to another lecture on having manners. She didn't respond, preferring to glug her own coffee down. It was unusual for her to be so quiet but who was he to quibble?

"You ready?" he eventually asked and she nodded, before getting off her stool and following him to the door.

-=Haffie=-

"Alright princess, whats the matter?" he asked through his puffs as he collapsed on his settee while she daintily sat down in a chair opposite him and picking up a magazine. She had been silent all though their jog when usually she spend the entire time telling him all about the various gossip going round the village or speculating names for Katniss and Peeta's new baby which was due very soon.

"Nothing, why?" she asked, not looking up from whatever 'fabulous' article she was reading

"You've been quiet all morning princess" he pointed out, slowly getting his breath back

" I thought that's what you wanted" she said, turning a page.

'I thought it was too' Haymitch thought suddenly but the truth was he had missed her chatter and cheerful thoughts.

"I think its time I went back to the capital" she said suddenly, throwing the magazine o the side in a very un Effie like manner

"What? Why?" he exclaimed with a frown. What had he done this time?

"Because its time Haymitch" she whispered softly "you don't need me here and you most certainly don't want me here."

"What makes you say that?" he demanded, standing up and making her flinch slightly.

"What makes me say that?" she repeated, standing up and feeling her temper start to rise "I don't know, maybe it's because you haven't one nice thing to me for the last three weeks or perhaps because you seem to be determined to ruin every good thing I have left, or gee I don't know, because you seem determined not to care about your health at all and I just can't stand here and watch the man I love do all that to himself. You'll have Katniss and Peeta to look after you and its time I started re building my life where I belong."

"What did you just say?" he asked, a little dazed that he'd managed to piss her off that much

"I said its time I re-built my li-"

"Before that."

"I don't remember" she lied, avoiding his gaze and folding her arms protectively in front of her chest.

"You said you loved me" he stated, trying to hide a grin

"I was mad okay?" she muttered "I'm going to pack. I'll be out of your hair in a couple of hours"

"Wait, Effie.." he said and reached out to her but she ignored him and disappeared out of the room and up the stairs. A few minutes later he heard her door slam above him.

-=Haffie=-

"Effie will you please open the door" he sighed, knocking once again. He had been out here for the last half an hour trying everything he could think of to get her to open the door but being her stubborn annoying self Effie wasn't budging.

"Don't make me break the door down" he tried again

"Just go away Haymitch!" she shrieked from inside the room. Haymitch lowered his hand and slid down the door so he was sitting with his back to the door and his legs stretched out in front of him.

"Effie listen, I do care about my health. I complain because its hard and I'm sick of everything being hard but I know if you weren't there with your incessant nagging it would be ten times harder. I don't say nice things to you because you wouldn't believe me if I told you that look beautiful when your colour is up after dragging me all around the village, or when you smile at little Rose. But there are times when I find myself absolutely speechless when I look at you. Like when you're trying not to fall asleep while we watch tv or when you've just got out of the shower and haven't had time to put all that gunk back on your face again. I call you princess because that's what you are. You're my princess. You've been by my side for most of my life and I'm sorry I took that for granted. Sometimes I feel as though no one understands what I've been through but I forget that you do. You saw all those tributes be killed along with me. You lost loved ones as well. You had to pretend everything was fine when it wasn't. I don't mean to destroy every good thing that you have left, quite the opposite in fact. I guess I'm just a selfish ass. But I love you Effie and I want you to feel as though you belong here. With me."

There was silence for a few moments until she suddenly opened the door, resulting in him falling backwards so he ended up flat on his back in her doorway.

"Did you mean all that?" she asked softly, sitting down next to him

"I did" he confirmed "I love you princess"

"Oh Haymitch" she sighed, allowing a few tears to escape "I love you too"

He pulled her into his arms so they were both lying on the floor before covering her lips with his own

"Don't ever leave me" he murmured

"I won't"

**SOO What did you think? Please review and let me know!**


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